How to Make Christmas Wreaths

Learn to make Christmas wreaths and you'll be able to decorate your own home with a beautiful symbol of Christmas. Not only is it easy and fun, it gives you a new gift-giving opportunity; most people enjoy having a Christmas wreath on their front door during the holidays.

Why We Hang Wreaths
While not necessarily of Christian origin, the evergreen wreath, which had its beginning in northern Europe, has come to represent the Catholic tradition during the Christmas holidays. In the beginning, Celts who fashioned wreaths from evergreen did so because they believed the spirit of the forest was strongest in the boughs of the evergreen, as it did not succumb to winter's harsh weather but remained green.

To preserve some of that magic for themselves, the Celts brought these boughs into their homes and made wreaths, or hung evergreen boughs in their windows to ward off evil spirits. Eventually, evergreen wreaths became Christmas wreaths and were adopted by Christians to herald the coming of Christmas.

How to Make a Christmas Wreath
If you're making indoor wreaths, you may find it wise to use artificial Christmas flowers and greens, as natural materials will dry out and can become a fire hazard. Artificial Christmas flowers can also be used in evergreen wreaths that will be placed outside. Both natural and artificial wreaths are made the same way. If you use dried materials, you will need more supplies, as the stalks will be dried out and much thinner. 

What you will need:

• 10-inch ring; either buy one from a craft store or use a wire hanger that has been bent to form a circle
• Spool of wire; not too thick to work with, but not so thin that it easily breaks
• Evergreen tips; these can be found at garden centers 
• 1 to 2 yards of 2 ½-inch-wide ribbon
• Decorative accessories

When making a wreath, the first thing you'll need to do is create a work area. Don't do this in the house. Sap from the evergreens will make a real mess of your countertop or floor, and moving the ring around as you work can gouge deep scratches into the countertop. Instead, create a work area in the garage out of the weather and wear gloves to protect your hands. A sheet of 3/4" plywood, or thicker, placed on a pair of saw horses makes a great work surface.

For the prettiest wreath, use only evergreen tips. Once the evergreen tips are cut, they should be no longer than about 12 inches. About six evergreen tips will create one bundle.

Directions

• Start by wrapping the end of the wire around the ring. Do this several times, so that the wire does not pull out when you tug on it.
• Create evergreen bundles that can easily be held in one hand. Each bundle should have about six tips, each cut to a length of about 12 inches.
• When you pick up each bundle, make sure about one to two inches of the cut ends or stems are sticking out from the underside of your closed hand, and about six inches of greens are sticking out the other side of your closed hand.
• Place the bundle on the ring, grasping the ring in your hand as well as the bundle. Lift the ring up slightly. Use your other hand to maneuver the wire. Wrap the wire around the greens just in front of your hand, then all the way around the ring. Move your hand down 1 inch and wrap the wire 1 more time, again around the greens and the ring. Do this three times for each bundle.
• When you add the second bundle, move the stems down on the ring about one to two inches so that the tips will fall lower on each consecutive bundle. Follow the same procedure as you did with the first bundle. When each consecutive bundle is attached to the ring, the stems should fall just beneath the stems of the bundle before it. Check often to make sure this is happening. If the stems are not tight, your wreath will not be tight. If there are holes or gaps where the stems do not touch, there will be holes or gaps in the wreath.
• After the first bundle is attached, each time you wrap the wire around, you will essentially be wrapping it around 2 bundles. This continuation of wire helps to secure the bundles so that the end product is very tightly wired together and reinforced.
• The last bundle should be a little smaller than the others. Because the wreath is now almost completely closed up, it will be harder to get your hands in between the first and last bundle. Wrap the wire around 3 times to secure the bundle, and then check the front of the wreath to make sure the hole has been filled in.
• Flip the wreath. Work on the backside of the wreath to secure and end the wire. To secure the wire, wrap the wire back around the ring and last bundle 1 more time, leaving it loose enough so that you can pull the wire back through the loop. Tie off the wire by doing this twice. Then bring the wire back out from the back. Leave the wire attached to the wreath.
• Measure about 12 inches of wire from the ring to the spool of wire in your hand. Make a small loop at the 12-inch mark by bending the wire. When you have made the loop, flatten it between your fingers. Press the wreath firmly to the table with your left hand, hold the spool of wire in your right hand and give the wire a good yank. If done correctly, the loop you made at the end of the wire will snap leaving about 12 inches of wire attached to the wreath to use as a hanger.
• Secure the wreath to the wall or door using the 12 inches of wire. To secure the wreath, wrap the wire around a nail or create a loop on the end and use it as a hanger.